The HDT Global Adroit MK2 robotic arm in action at the
AUVSI Unmanned Systems Show in 2012
www.engineeringtv.com/video/We-Hand-Over-the-Microphone-to

that allows the arm to be mounted on any flat surface that
is about 4” by 4”. We supply wireless links to operate the
arms,” explained Dr. Van Doren. Other retrofit kits for
popular robots are now in development.

In the Field

The Adroit MK2 robotic arms are in use today by
several military organizations, NASA, and commercial
customers. They are being used for laboratory and field use
for a range of applications, and are continuing to being
evaluated for use on EOD robots. A marine variant of the
arm that can operate to depths of 100 meters in salt water
is in design now and will be built in 2013.

As with other robots, the MK2 manipulator arm and its
attachments can perform tasks that normally would put
people at risk. “We think of the Adroit arms in general as
a way to provide human dexterity remotely. Our key
distinguishing characteristics are very high dexterity (we
have systems with up to 27 degrees of freedom), plus a
very high payload-to-weight ratio. Thus, the arms can be
mounted on very lightweight systems and provide high
dexterity and high lift capacity,” Dr. Van Doren continued.

Conclusion

The MK series of robotic arms offers advanced
capabilities that have not been previously available. As
robots get closer to matching human dexterity, there will be
even more ways to integrate robots into our lives. While
HDT Global did not mention any plans to attach MK series
arms to humanoid robots in the foreseeable future, it is
working on healthcare applications and continues to be
available for domestic law enforcement tasks. SV

Protector Series

HDT Global’s Robotics division is gearing up to release its own Protector series of logistics and trail clearance
robots, which will also be compatible with the MK2 arms. The Protector robots will be powered by diesel —
or JP8 — and will haul a load up to 1K lbs. The Protector will have more than three days of mission level
operational capacity using existing onboard fuel.